NFL Announces Back-to-back Punishment for Baker Mayfield's Guard After Bucs Lost to Commanders in Wildcard Weekend

The NFL's actions surrounding Mauch brought increased scrutiny to the player, whose 2024 season was a mixed bag of progress and mistakes.

His on-field discipline let him down. Unfortunately, it shed a negative light on a big problem at a bad time. Furthermore, these mistakes could test both his productivity and the Bucs' faith in their offensive line.

Cody Mauch's fines reflect important concerns about discipline.

The NFL handed Mauch two fines in a row. The first one was given during Tampa Bay's last regular-season game of 2024 for unnecessary roughness, specifically for striking, kicking, or kneeing, and was worth $9,451. However, there's more to the story. He also got dinged in the Wildcard game for a chop block, and that fine was also $9,451. All told, the two fines suggest a concerning pattern.

For the 2024 season, Mauch has a 2.7% pressure rate, ranking sixth among NFL guards. However, it's the penalties for conduct that are still holding him back, somewhat limiting his progress. Mauch still needs to improve in this area, which will demand his full attention next season.

A cohesive regular season is ideal, but losing focus at crucial moments jeopardizes that cohesiveness. It's a problem that the Tampa Bay front office needs to tackle in order to stay competitive.

Cody Mauch's fines also raise bigger questions about player conduct. The NFL tries to keep players safe and ensure fair play with these penalties. However, for the Tampa Bay team, the timing couldn't have been worse as it further confusing a season highlighted by close losses and narrow defeats.

The Buccaneers eliminated themselves from wild card contention

The game-winning, doinked field goal grabbed all the attention, but the real story was Tampa Bay's late-game fumbles and questionable clock management.

The team tied the game late with a field goal attempt.

Mauch's mistakes and lack of defensive focus prolonged Washington's drive, setting the stage for Gonzalez's crucial field goal attempt. Frustrated fans took to social media to express their discontent, questioning the team's overall discipline. The challenging defeat leaves Tampa Bay with difficult questions in the offseason. How can the Bucs rebuild their offense line while preserving its core strengths? The answers will play a key role in defining their 2025 season.

Tampa Bay's season concluded somewhat torn between moments of individual progress and the team's overall disappointments on the night that counted. For Cody Mauch, the disappointments highlight a need for maturity, while for the Bucs, they serve as a reminder - progress frequently comes at the cost of difficult lessons.

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